Boxed In
by QQSuited
Summary: Tumblr prompt: Imagine your OTP stuck in an elevator after they've had a fight. While arguing, Beca tries to walk away but Chloe follows. A mechanical breakdown strands them in the elevator with a medical issue and a trip down memory lane. Future Fic set after the events of the movie (even the sequel, I would think). Possibly even AU Bechloe?


Tumblr prompt: Imagine your OTP stuck in an elevator after they've had a fight.

A/N: Okay, I just realized I take these nice prompts and immediately go completely astray. So, this is the direction this prompt took me… Future fic, follows events of the movie then goes off on a tangent.

Disclaimer: If you cannot read these instructions, please notify a flight attendant.

**-Boxed In**

"Don't you walk away from me!"

"I'm not walking, I'm stomping."

Chloe yanked the heavy door to the loft shut behind her as she followed after her singularly pissed off girlfriend, who now stood angrily punching the "down" button at the elevator.

"Don't stomp away from me, then."

Beca's head lolled back on her shoulders in resignation. "Leave me alone, Chloe."

"Where are you going?" Chloe demanded as the elevator arrived.

Beca stepped into the car and turned to her girlfriend. "Away from here," she replied, hitting the button for the lobby.

The doors started to slide shut but Chloe wasn't quite prepared to call an end to the disagreement they were currently in the midst of. At the last moment, she jumped between the closing doors and turned to face the forward, crossing her arms over her chest and mimicking Beca's pose.

"You know, the whole idea about storming out after a fight," Beca muttered, "is to get away from the fight."

Chloe smirked, something Beca decided the redhead had learned from her during their years together. "Maybe I wasn't done fighting."

"Maybe I _was_," Beca snapped.

"You always do this, Beca. You just get up and leave right in the middle of it all. It's getting tiresome."

The brunette glowered at her reflection in the elevator door. "I can always just move out."

Chloe spun on the smaller girl. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" she exclaimed, her tone a mixture of anger and fear.

"Chlo-," she sighed.

Suddenly, the air was filled with a loud **BANG** and the ear-splitting shriek of metal grinding on metal before the elevator lurched and bounced and then something frightening- what felt like a freefall. After several feet they came to a sudden jarring, shuddering halt. Chloe gave a frightened squeak of surprise before she stumbled and fell backward, her head smacking hard against the metal wall. Beca, almost immediately sensing something was wrong, reached for Chloe but lost her balance and fell, landing hard on top of the redhead.

A loud, high-pitched buzzing filled Beca's ears and for a moment she was afraid perhaps she'd been knocked unconscious and was slowly coming awake. Then she realized it was the alarm on the elevator and they were stuck. The overhead light in the lift flickered off before the emergency light kicked on, bathing everything in a stark red glow. Pushing herself up, Beca crawled over to the control panel, hit the emergency button and lifted the telephone handset.

"Metro Elevators," a female voice said almost immediately. "What's your location?"

"Uh, 1645 Vine Street."

"Are you in the Broadway Hollywood building?"

"Yes."

"Emergency personnel are on the way," the woman stated. "Our computers indicate this is simply a malfunction, there's nothing to worry about."

Beca rolled her eyes. "Then we're not going to plummet to the basement? That's reassuring." She took a breath. "How long will it be?"

There was silence. "Depending on what actually caused the failure, it could be several hours." The red emergency light flicked off and the overhead light came back on. "We'll be as quick as we can, I promise."

"Okay," Beca sighed. "Thanks."

"If you need anything, just pick up the phone."

With a snort, Beca replaced the phone receiver. "If we're gonna be here for a couple of hours, you could send us a pizza and beer." She turned to the redhead. "Well, Red, I guess we're stuck-." She stopped when she noticed Chloe's eyes were closed and she hadn't moved or made a sound since the initial jolting of the lift. Beca's heart stopped then immediately then began to thud painfully in her chest.

"Oh, no," she pleaded, scurrying quickly to her girlfriend. "Nonononononono." Gingerly lifting the unconscious woman into her arms, she cradled Chloe close in her lap. "Hey, sweetie, wake up for me, okay? Chloe? Please wake up." She caressed the redhead's cheek with her free hand, pushing strands of fiery red hair off the pale forehead. She wrapped an arm around Chloe's shoulders and held her close. "Baby, I need you to wake up for me. Please, Chlo."

"Beca?" Chloe groaned. Beca breathed a sigh of relief even though Chloe's eyes were screwed tightly shut. The redhead reached back with a hand to rub her head and hissed in pain when she touched the rapidly growing bump there. "What are you doing in my room?" she murmured.

The brunette was surprised by the question and paused before speaking. "Your- what?"

"Shouldn't be here. Aubrey finds you... she'll flip shit."

"Dude, what are you talking about?"

Chloe sighed and slowly opened her eyes. "She's not supposed to know. NO one is supposed to know."

"Know what?" Beca asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"That I'm in love with you," the redhead whispered as if she were passing State secrets, burrowing her face into Beca's neck. "Not Aubrey, not Stacie, not Amy, not you... certainly not Jesse…"

Beca snorted. "Jesse-? Babe, it's a little too late for that."

"No!" Chloe exclaimed then winced, touching the bump on her head again. "No one can know! It'll ruin everything!"

"What, Chloe? What will it ruin?" Beca was completely confused. She and Chloe had been dating since her sophomore year of college. They moved to LA together 2 years ago, right after Beca had graduated and Chloe finished grad school. They'd been inseparable even longer than that.

"Everything," the redhead insisted. "ICCA's, you and Jesse… I can't get in the way of that."

"Baby, what are you talking about?"

"You're a freshman and I'm a senior and we just got back into the finals…" Chloe sighed. "And I know Jesse's got a toner for you. I can't get in his way..."

Beca's brow furrowed. Chloe thought they were back at Barden? And it was Beca's freshman year? She must have really hit her head hard. Fearing the redhead might have a concussion; Beca knew she had to keep her awake and talking.

Even if it meant they had to take a trip through time…

"Sweetie," Beca whispered, "No matter what you might think, even if Jesse _does_ have a toner for me, I certainly don't have one for him."

Chloe sighed. "But it's easier this way," she murmured.

"Easier? How?"

"You're not gay, Beca."

That made Beca chuckle. "Shows what you know."

"I love you so much, Becs," Chloe hummed. "But you should be with Jesse."

"Why do people think I should have been with him? We had _nothing_ in common, he kept forcing me to do stuff I didn't want to do, wanting me to change…"

"Music. You have music in common."

"So do you and I, Chlo."

"I can't do that to you, Beca," Chloe insisted softly. "No matter how much I love you."

"So, you're going to be all noble and shit?"

"Yes."

"Why?" These revelations were new to Beca, she had no idea Chloe had felt this way all those years ago.

"Protect you."

Beca's brow furrowed. "Protect me from _what_?"

"Talk. All the talk. People are mean, say mean things…"

"Chloe, I could have handled it."

Chloe sighed, her eyes squeezed tightly shut for a moment before relaxing again, as if thinking too much was causing her discomfort. "You're 19, Bec. I know better, already lived through it… Not gonna do that to you." The redhead sighed. "Being noble sucks…"

That made Beca chuckle. "Tell me about it."

"And we've got ICCA's. Aubrey's letting you do your thing… it's gonna be great, but… the set's all about Jesse… He loves you, you love him. I'll be okay…" She sobbed softly. "We're gonna win because of you, Becs."

"Dude!" Beca exclaimed. She saw Chloe wince and lowered her voice, pressing her lips to her girlfriend's forehead. "I was _apologizing_ to him, not professing my love."

"Doesn't matter, Beca…. Doesn't matter…"

Sensing Chloe about to slip into unconsciousness, Beca gave her a little shrug with her shoulder, shaking her back awake. "Tell me when you knew, Chlo. When did you know how you felt?"

Chloe gave a little breathless laugh. "When you sang to me," she murmured. "At auditions."

"No way. We barely knew each other."

"Love at first sight… The quad for activities fair. Pretty sure I really fell then."

Beca smiled. "That song really did it, huh?"

"Nuh-uh…"

"No?"

"Boobs."

"What?"

Chloe gave a little smile. "Low-cut top you wore… Lotsa boobage… So hot."

Beca barked out a laugh. "So you fell in love with my body. Okay."

"I saw you naked," Chloe reminded her, trying blearily to wink.

"I saw you naked, too, Chlo. " Beca smiled to herself. "And confident is not a strong enough word."

"You looked… so good at Hood night… was gonna kiss you…"

"You practically did. Why didn't you?"

Chloe snorted in derision then winced again. "Tom…," she sighed. "He showed up. Wasn't invited… Asshole..."

"You kissed him."

"Yeah… couldn't have you so… kissed him. Too much jiggle juice…"

"Sweetie, I told you to make good choices."

With a sigh, Chloe nuzzled her cheek into Beca's shoulder. "Yeah… drunken fail…" Another sigh, then a tiny giggle. "Aubrey saw you… and Jesse… Knew something was up…"

Beca smiled ruefully. "You know what was up? He was drunk and trying to flirt. I was sober and not. That's all."

Chloe nuzzled her face into Beca's neck and sighed. "So sleepy."

"No, baby, stay awake for me," Beca urged, cuddling Chloe closer where the redhead was cradled in her arms. She gently brushed fiery hair back off Chloe's too pale forehead. "Tell me more. Talk to me."

With another nuzzle, Chloe blinked and tried to focus her eyes. "What do you want me to say?"

Beca thought for a moment. "Um, what did Aubrey say when you told her you burst in on me in the shower?"

Chloe grinned. "Never told her."

"What? She doesn't know?"

"Nope. She'da been furious…"

"So you didn't make a habit of leaping into the showers of complete strangers?"

"You were… first," Chloe whispered conspiratorially, her eyes sliding shut.

Beca snorted. "Yeah, babe, I also better be the last."

"Coulda been in soooooo much trouble," Chloe mumbled, drawing out the word to make her point. "Did you have… Th' official BU rape whistle?"

"Yeah, I had it. But you were between me and safety."

"Woulda been…. Sooooo bad…" A giggle escaped the redhead's lips. "Aubrey… gone nuts if she knew… Not Bella-like to do that…" Suddenly, Chloe opened her eyes. Beca could see they were unfocused and glazed. "I'll let you go, Beca, I promise…. But not just yet… Wanna spend all the time… I can… with you before finals… before I graduate… Love you so much."

Tears welled up in Chloe's eyes before slipping onto her cheeks and she buried her face in Beca's hoodie. Beca felt tears stinging her own eyes as she attempted to swallow down the lump in her throat. Chloe, her sweet, innocent, loving Chloe, had obviously been torn up over her feelings for the DJ after they first met. And Beca, for her part, had been so confused over her own feelings that she'd let herself believe she felt something more for Jesse than she really did. And tried to deny what she felt for Chloe. She had wasted so much time.

"Chloe. Chlo, listen to me," Beca whispered, her lips to Chloe's ear. "I love you more than life itself. I have since the moment we met. I promise you that. And I'm not going anywhere. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"Hey, Bec?" Chloe whispered, her head lolling back to rest on Beca's arm.

"What, Red?"

"Can you tell me something?"

"Sure, sweetie. Whatever you want to know."

The redhead heaved a big sigh. "Why don't you like to be touched?"

Beca was stunned silent for a moment. "Wow, nothing like asking the tough questions, huh, Chlo?"

"It's just… for someone who doesn't like it… I've never met anyone… who needs hugs more than… you do."

Taking a deep breath before slowly letting it out, Beca looked down into the face of the woman she loved. "Surprisingly astute question for someone knocked silly, my love," she finally replied. "It's not that I don't like being touched. I guess I just never got used to it. I never had friends in high school who were so touchy-feely and no one ever invaded my personal space like you do. I guess it's less that I don't like it and more like I'm uncomfortable with it. You're still the only one who hugs and touches me and I don't freak out about it. Something about you is comforting."

"I'm like a security blanket!" Chloe giggled. "I hug you all the time… because it's the only way… I can touch you and no one… knows any better…" The redhead sighed. "No one knows… I'm so in love with you…"

Beca chuckled. "Dude, I'm going to let you in on a little secret."

"Yeah? What…?"

"Fat Amy knew."

"No!"

"Yep. And Cynthia Rose. Oh, and Jessica and Ashley. They may be quiet, but they're pretty observant."

"CR knows?"

"Dude, she's gay. Her gaydar pinged on you almost instantly." Thinking back to her freshman year, Beca smiled. "To be honest, sweetie, everyone knew. We were pretty obvious…"

Chloe slowly lifted a hand and rubbed tiredly at her face. She looked up at Beca and it seemed to the brunette those clear blue eyes were a little more focused. "Can I tell you… a secret?"

"If you want to."

The redhead frowned for a moment, her fingers finding the string on Beca's hoodie and tugging at it. "I like Jesse," she muttered.

"Um, what?" Beca asked in confusion. Just what was Chloe confessing here?

"I mean… I should hate him. I _do_ hate him… because he gets… to be with you," she clarified. "But he's really… he's a nice guy and… he'll be good to you… And I want you to have someone… who'll treat you right. You… you deserve that."

"Babe, I deserve to be with the person I love more than anything in the world. That's you."

"Oh, Bec-."

Chloe was silenced by the emergency phone buzzing in the control panel in front of her. Unwilling to relinquish her hold on the redhead, Beca stretched out and snagged the receiver from the cradle. "Hello?"

"Hello," the same female voice from earlier stated. "I wanted to inform you the service personnel have repaired the elevator. The car should begin a descent to the lobby shortly. Is there anything you need?"

"Uh, yes," Beca responded. "We need an ambulance, please. My girlfriend has a concussion and needs to go to the hospital."

"I'm contacting 911 now. Is she awake? Alert?"

"She's awake and talking but not very alert. We've been reliving our college days."

The woman chuckled. "As long as she's awake and talking. Emergency responders will be waiting for you." The elevator jolted momentarily then began to move. "You'll be in the lobby shortly."

"Thanks," Beca replied. She hung up the phone and sat up a little straighter. "Okay, Red, we're going to get you checked out at the hospital as soon as we get out of this box. You okay?"

"M'okay…"

"Cool."

The elevator reached the lobby and the doors slid open. Almost immediately pandemonium ensued. Elevator workers, EMT's, loft management, everyone was talking and interrupting each other.

"Shut up!" Beca exclaimed, cradling Chloe close to avoid shouting in her ear and causing her more pain. Silence fell over the crowd. She looked up at the paramedics. "Please take her." While they attended to Chloe and worked at assessing her, the brunette stood and glanced at the building manager. "I'll talk to you later and answer your questions." Finally, she turned to the elevator service repairmen. "Thanks."

They nodded and she hurried out of the elevator behind the paramedics wheeling Chloe to the waiting ambulance. Without hesitating, she climbed into the back where the stretcher had been secured and took a seat near Chloe's head. Gently reaching out, she stroked Chloe's forehead, brushing back locks of fiery red hair.

At Beca's touch, Chloe's eyes opened and locked on to Beca's. She could see the crystal blue orbs were clearer and more alert than they'd been in the elevator.

"Hey, kiddo," the brunette murmured soothingly. "How're you doing?"

"Headache," Chloe replied, running a hand over the back of her head. "Ouch."

"Well, you hit your head pretty hard. I'm sure you have a concussion. Just relax and enjoy the ride, at least Fat Amy isn't driving."

Chloe smiled at that. "Hey, Becs?" she asked softly.

Still stroking her forehead, Beca smiled. "Yeah, Chlo?"

"What were we fighting about?"

"You know what?" Beca replied after taking a long moment to ponder the question, "I don't remember. And I don't care. I love you, Chloe. That's all that matters."

Without a thought to the paramedics seated around them, Beca leaned down and pressed a kiss to Chloe's lips, pulling back momentarily before kissing her again and lingering for a few extra moments.

The redhead smiled, still feeling Beca's lips a hairsbreadth from her own. "I love you, too."

Fin

A/N: I think it's safe to assume all my Bechloe stories to this point are part of the same universe, which is that the events of the movie took place but diverge wildly from post ICCA's on. I would also hazard a guess that by the very end of the movie (ie: Six months later) Jeca is over and Bechloe has more than likely tentatively begun to grow...


End file.
